Warning after dog is caught in snare - contains images some people may find upsetting

Published:15:52Thursday 11 December 2014

Peak District dog owners are being warned to be on their guard after a pet was caught in a snare near Woodhead Reservoir.

The incident happened last Thursday when the dog’s owner, who doesn’t want to be named, was out walking his pet on the Longdendale Trail, in Glossop.

He said: “While walking up the hillside, my dog disappeared so I ran up the hill to try and spot him. I observed after emerging above the crest of a hill, my dog sniffing around a large barrel set into the ground twenty yards down the hill to the left.

“After calling him, he set off towards me but then stopped suddenly and refused to move. After repeated demands for him to come he suddenly became distressed and started thrashing about on the ground.

“I ran down towards him and found him to be caught in a snare. After freeing him and investigating the surrounding area, I found a further two snares and was confronted with an horrific soup of the local wildlife in a barrel.”

He added: “Luckily I got to him quite quickly so he wasn’t injured but if I’d taken any longer and he’d started thrashing around it could have been worse.”

Simon Wild, from the National Anti Snaring Campaign said ‘stink pits’ with dead animals inside were commonly used in grouse moor areas with snares set around them.

He added: “They are not so common in the Peak District though so we want to draw people’s attention to the fact this sort of thing is happening, it is an outrage.”